Contessa Pasta Bar — Restaurant in Pottstown

My daughter chose the Contessa Pasta Bar on High Street in pottstown for her birthday dinner after months of an anticipated opening. The bar is very long with a lot of seating, and tables are lined up intimately along the left wall as you enter. Reservations strongly recommended, as we were in for reserved seating at 5:30 and left at 7 when bar and every table was full. The long-awaited menu offers small plates to share if dining from the regular dinner menu. However, a special option for the table is available as a surprise tasting menu at 68.00 pp. Although they are still waiting on their liquor license, they offer byob for beer and wine, or mocktails, which I had to try the apple pie old fashioned. It was freaking delicious! Our selections were the oysters for my daughter & risotto balls for myself. The oysters were on a bed of course salt & not shaved ice as would be expected & she found them to be heavy on the lemon. The risotto balls were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside & I would return to dine simply for that dish alone! The Capaletti with ricotta she found to be lemony as well, but with the creamy truffle ricotta, I found the dish to be delectable. My personal preference was for the gnocchi, which was light and fluffy on the inside and crispy from toasted breadcrumbs on the outside. Again, this dish would draw me back! We shared the pistachio tart dessert and the poached pear dessert, both of which were not too sweet or decadent & filling like some desserts can be, and definitely a delectable ending to our meal. I forgot to get pictures of them, but the presentation for each dish was spot on... except for oysters, which we felt should have been on ice. I then single handedly ate the pistachio Gelato, one of their 3 gelato flavors of the day, as I finished my pellegrino sparkling mineral water. Our server was Graham, who was courteous, professional, and swift with service and checking in on us during our meal, as well as prompt with our check out. The musical selection felt slightly like a trendy club vibe, and maybe that helps with keeping their very busy bartender hopping and on his toes, but I found it somewhat distracting & not something I would personally choose as fine dining music. Otherwise, the atmosphere would get a 5 star. Since tables are so close to one another, I wouldn't choose this place to have a private or intimate dinner conversation. I felt like we had to talk louder than usual to be heard. Food was top-notch, very fresh, and served on your Nonna's favorite mix and match China pieces, which we both found to be a very nice touch. The service was excellent! & because we both are walking distance of just a few blocks, we did not have to deal with the diagonal back in parking. I'm usually a solo diner, & this new restaurant just hit my top 10...

My wife and I had dinner on opening night, and it just may be the best meal I've ever had in Pottstown.

We shared the Flank Steak, Crab Canelloni, Charred Squash, and the Prosecco Poached Pear for dessert. Every bite of each dish had excellent combinations of flavors.

Note, this isn't the type of place where you leave carrying styrofoam container with a half pound of pasta you couldn't finish. What you do get are reasonably sized portions of high quality, delicious creations, which in my opinion are worth every penny.

The staff was also super-friendly, knowledgeable and very helpful; and the Chef even stopped by and asked how every thing was.

We'll be going back a few times to work...

Contessa Pasta Bar was an absolute delight! I went with my girlfriends for dinner, and we loved it! The quality and care in every dish was perfection. For our first visit, we decided to share a variety of plates—and loved every single one (even a few not pictured!).

We’re already planning to come back with our girl group to try the multi-course tasting menu. Honestly, each dish was better than the last, and I can’t wait to explore more of the menu at this new Pottstown gem.

As a fan of Rivertown Taps in Phoenixville, I was so excited when I heard about this new spot opening—and it did not disappoint. I’ll definitely be back and can’t wait to see what’s on the menu...